The Last Marauder
by Vacancy
Summary: So you, so young to want to fight. A marauder. He nearly smiled before he remembered James lying quietly below the earth so far away, his only love at his side. And Sirius, oh, Sirius, lying dead somewhere on the other side of the a veil of smoke.


As the castle trembled and shook and pitched around, Remus was absurdly reminded of a prank the marauders had pulled, oh, sixth year. James had let loose fireworks of such a variety Zonko's refused to sell them, and he had them imported. The entire structure had trembled, much as it was now.

_Playground Bell rings again_

Shaking himself out of the memory, he kicked open a familiar door and found himself in the Great hall of Hogwarts School Of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The sounds of battle shattered the otherwise cool, cloudy, all around pleasant summer spring night.

_Rainclouds come to play again_

Kingsley bellowed something to him and he ducked just in time to dodge a jet of murderous red light. The lovely, sneering face of Bellatrix Lestrange watched a moment, then whipped away, lost in the crowd. He Stunned a large blond Death Eater that nearly flattened a small Hufflepuff boy who had to dart away not to be crushed. His face was drawn, his eyes full of fear but his face was set in a grimace of determination. So you, so young to want to fight. A marauder. He nearly smiled before he remembered James lying quietly below the earth so far away, his only love at his side. And Sirius, oh, Sirius, lying somewhere on the other side of the a veil of smoke. And Wormtail, alone and unwanted even in death, hidden below a dungeon stairwell.

He shook himself out of another memory and dodged another curse, firing Stuns as fast as he could. He was frenzied in the attack, much like a wolf, until he saw her. His muscles seemed to be made of lead as he lowered himself into a more natural position and stumbled over to where Tonks lay. It was a little space between a wall and a pile of rubble, a hiding place. He nearly laughed as he stepped closer. So silly of her to decide to sleep now. So silly.

"Tonks," he said softly, shaking her shoulder like he had so many times now. So in love, but so regretful, so guilty he had tethered her to him.

"Remus," it was Kingsley behind him, tall and proud, shaking his head. Remus laughed a little, but it sounded strangled and odd.

_Has no one told you she's not breathing?_

Her hair wasn't the indignant violet or pink as it usually was, it was a shining blond that fell to unusually tanned shoulders, frizzed.

"Tonks," he whispered roughly, brushing her foreign hair out of her face. Her too-cold face.

_Hello. I am your mind, giving you someone to talk to. Hello. _

"Remus? Hello!" Kingsley cried out. He had stayed silent so long. Tears were dripping off cheekbones like the rim of a storm drain, and he wondered if he was weeping too. He wiped his hand across his eyes and they shone salty-wet. He tried to laugh, but again it didn't come out real.

"Sleeping," he said affectionately, kissing her forehead.

"Remus," Kingsley said thickly. "She's dead."

"Kingsley!" he said scornfully, shaking her shoulder again. Why didn't she wake up?

"You can't bring the dad back!"

_Don't try to fix me I'm not broken!_

"But she's not _dead _Shacklebolt!" he screamed, every part of him ripping as lying ceased to work. "She's _alive_!"

Everyone heard his inhuman screech, though not everyone registered it. One of them was a silk-haired woman who grinned wickedly at his pain. She advanced with a smile, like she was going to greet a good friend instead of raising her wand and saying charmingly,

"_Avada Kedavra_, filthy half-blood."

_Don't cry._

Remus fell onto his knees beside Tonks, smiling stupidly. He was going to nap as well, then. She'd wake up and tease him about it, but now there was no place better than beside Tonks.

_Suddenly I know I'm not sleeping. Hello._

The last marauder, he thought idly as he died. Good-night, James, good-night, Sirius, even you, Wormtail, I'll see you all in the morning then. I wonder, is this sleep pleasant?

And he crumpled to join Tonks, dead.

_All thats left of yesterday._

_Goodbye_


End file.
